On 11 December, Make.org, together with ifok, hosted the second closed-door roundtable focusing on the opportunities of implementing AI for democratic processes. This second roundtable focused on the practical uses of AI in enhancing democratic processes, building on the success of our first roundtable, which centred on making AI systems fit for democracy and highlighted the Democratic Commons research programme.
The roundtable gathered key experts from various fields, including technology, civil society, and democracy advocacy, to discuss how AI can help improve the functioning of democratic systems and empower citizens to engage more effectively. The main guiding question touched upon AI applications that can be integrated into participatory and deliberative processes. Participants explored the potential for AI to break down barriers to participation, enabling an easier access to institutional information, as well as ensuring that more citizens — especially marginalised groups — can take part in democratic debates and decision-making.
Make.org showcased Panoramic AI, an AI-powered platform designed to empower citizens in enhancing their understanding of specific policy issues. Users can access a wealth of information related to their areas of interest, connected to legal documents and video recordings of plenary sessions. Participants were also able to try out the demo version of Panoramic AI on the State of the European Union address of 2023.
ifok, together with Missions Publiques, has implemented five European Citizens' Panels for the European Commission, using AI to support multilingual, inclusive deliberations. AI tools, like image generators for realistic personas and text summarizers, enhance the deliberation process, making it more accessible and effective.
DeliberAIde showcases their work on using AI to improve large-scale, inclusive dialogues. Their AI tools support decision-making by translating speech, analysing discussions, and creating interactive chatbots, making the process more efficient, accessible, and insightful.
The discussion centred on both sides of the AI coin: how it can enhance democratic processes and institutions, as well as the potential harms and risks associated with the overuse or misuse of AI applications.
A recurring challenge mentioned was the need for increased AI literacy. AI tools can help democratic societies by providing summaries of complex issues and interactive elements. Partcipantsalso highlighted the importance of displaying data sources to enable verification and foster trust.
The discussion focused on AI's potential to enhance deliberation, with concerns about oversimplification and losing the nuances of human interactions. While AI can support processes like summarisation and translation, participants agreed it should never replace human decision-making, ensuring democratic values and complexities are preserved.
As AI technologies continue to play a larger role in democratic processes, ethical considerations were central to the discussion. Participants emphasised the need for AI tools to be developed with clear ethical guidelines, including transparency, accountability, and inclusivity. They stressed the importance of understanding the AI training process, the sources of data used, and how these factors influence the outcomes and decision-making processes. Make.org’s approach includes rigorous quality checks, human oversight, collaboration with researchers to address potential biases, and the full respect of GPRD and of our ethic charter.
Another topic of debate was the environmental impact of AI technologies. It has been pointed out that the benefits must be weighed against the environmental cost of developing and running these technologies. Discussions included how AI can be used in a more sustainable, cost-effective way, especially when public funds are involved.
This roundtable was a crucial step towards shaping a more inclusive and participatory democracy. The insights and recommendations shared will inform Make.org's ongoing efforts to explore how AI can enhance citizen participation, particularly at the transnational level. As we move forward, Make.org will continue to work with partners like ifok to explore the potential of AI in building more inclusive and accessible democratic systems.